Spar progress

I cut out and cleaned up the kit white metal "barb", or harpoon point. I filed down the aft ends that it would fit in the smaller diameter aluminum tube, cut a short segment of this and a shorter segment of the larger diameter tubing. I mounted the barb into one end of the small diameter tubing section and slide the larger diameter section half way onto the other end of the small tube. I attached both with CA. Now, the barb assembly will slip over the end of the spar that is attached to the boat's bow. I will construct the torpedo next and affix that with straps made from flattened soldier to the barb assembly's small tubing. The torpedo will hang just behind the barbed point and ahead of the large tubing section.

The next main assemblies I can make prior to painting or assembling all together (they will break off during the move if I do that) are the torpedo, the line and electrical cable, and the rudder, shroud and screw assembly.

All this measuring, cutting, flattening and filing is getting dangerously close to scratch-building territory, which, now, doesn't seem all that daunting. In fact, I am now considering how to scratch build one of the Confederate ironclads. These are not overly complex ships and with the judicious use of Evergreen strip for the long armor plating, it might be a simple way to try my hand at this. I would likely need some canon barrels, but the rest might be fairly easy to make. Maybe the CSS Tennessee or CSS Virginia... More research is called for.

The Coldest Winter I am listening to my CD version of Halberstam's "The Coldest Winter", a history of the Korean War. I have seen this book many times, and almost bought it once due to a continuing but previously distant interest in this conflict. I got the CD unabridged version at a Library sale for $8. Best $8 I have spent in some time. I thought I knew something about it, but I knew very little. This is a very well done history, extremely readable and full of very interesting facts about the army, Mao, Stalin, MacArthur (not flattering at all), the Marines and the average Joe. I intend to buy the book after I finish the CD - something to write notes in and refer to with an index. Not easy to do with an audio book. I would buy the Kindle or iBook version so that I could easily search it, get definitions on the spot, highlight areas and passages and write my own notes into it (also searchable). Besides, it would cost less than the paper version and I could carry it around on my iPad like I am doing my other ten or so books I have currently loaded.